1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a face image recognition apparatus which recognizes the face image of a person for security management or the like and a passage control apparatus which controls the passage of a passer by use of the face image recognition apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The face image recognition apparatus is used to recognize the face image of a person for security management or the like. An example of the conventional face image recognition apparatus is disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-5836, for example. In the face image recognition apparatus disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-5836, feature information items of the face images of registrants are previously registered in correspondence to identification information items in a dictionary. A to-be-recognized person who uses the face image recognition apparatus inputs his own identification information (such as an ID number). Then, the face image recognition apparatus specifies feature information corresponding to the identification information input by the to-be-recognized person in the dictionary and inputs the face image of the to-be-recognized person. After specifying the feature information corresponding to the identification information and inputting the face image of the to-be-recognized person, the face image recognition apparatus collates feature information extracted from the input face image with the feature information specified in the dictionary based on the identification information and performs the recognition process for the face image of the to-be-recognized person.
Thus, in the conventional face image recognition apparatus, a method for permitting the to-be-recognized person to input his own identification information and specify registration information (feature information) registered in the dictionary is used. For example, in the conventional face image recognition apparatus disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-5836, identification information of the to-be-recognized person is input by use of a key input section such as a keyboard or card reader. Further, in the conventional face image recognition apparatus, registration information is specified in the dictionary and the face image of the to-be-recognized person is input by use of the image input section after input of identification information by the to-be-recognized person is completed.